When joining two pieces of electrical conduit together, a simple straight coupling is sufficient if the conduits are in axial alignment, and a rigid connection is acceptable. However, at junctions where the two conduits do not line up perfectly, such as in instances of axial misalignment or parallel misalignment, angled couplings are required to join the conduit together.
Certain installations further require that the coupling be flexible in order to accommodate movement. For example, a flexible conduit may be required where a raceway crosses a structural joint intended for expansion, contraction or deflection, such as in buildings, bridges, parking garages, or across adjacent sections of pavement. Conduit couplings that are installed in these locations need to be able to flex in order to accommodate the movement due to changes in temperature and the weight of vehicles. Currently available couplings have limited ability to adjust for axial expansion and contraction movements. Furthermore, prior known expansion and deflection couplings do not offer an increase in movements when being installed on site. If a greater range of movement is desired, the device has to be custom designed for this at the factory.
The presently disclosed conduit couplings are able to provide a wider range of axial and angular movement than was previously available.